What I'm Reading: Boy in the Box

The latest issue of Booklist contains a review by me of the title below. As always, here on the blog, I post my draft version of the review with more information to make it easier for you to hand-sell the book to your patrons.

Boy in the Box.

Fitch, Marc E. (author).
Apr. 2020. 240p. Flame Tree, $24.95 (9781787583849); paper, $14.95 (9781787583825). 
First published March 1, 2020 (Booklist).

Ten years ago, four friends, Jonathan, Gene, and brothers Conner and Michael went deep into the Adirondacks on a hunting trip, during which a seemingly impossible and utterly tragic event took place. Somehow, in those deserted woods, it wasn’t a deer that came out of the trees when they took their shot, it was a young boy. The four conspired to bury the body and their secret, but none of them were ever the same. Now, Gene has killed himself and the remaining three men are left with guilt and a very real threat that their secret will be found out as redevelopment is coming to the place where it all happened. They decide to go back and try to make things right, but there is more than their past mistakes working against them; something unnatural has been patiently waiting to collect its final payment. Narrated mostly by Jonathan, the novel is a slow burn, but a compelling one, where every dread inducing detail matters, and the tension and fear compound. By the time the three friends make it to the hunting grounds, readers will feel just how unstoppable the horror is and yet, they will not be able to look away. This is a harrowing and intense psychological horror novel sure to be enjoyed by fans of Peter Straub, Jac Jemc, and Ania Ahlborn.

Further Appeal: This is a psychological horror story that becomes disorienting and violent as the story moves into its third act.

I will stress the slow burn too. There is a lot of backstory and character development that needs to happen before we move into the part of the story where they are in the woods, returning to that fateful spot. Some of the character development is a bit weak and stereotypical for Conner and Michael, but Jonathan is a well drawn character and we get to see his nuances well. He is definitely an unreliable narrator but still very sympathetic.

This story does contain a plot with children in mortal peril. So if that is a thing you cannot do, read one of the readalike authors instead.

This will be EXTREMELY popular with a wide, library, horror audience and further proves to me that Flame Tree Press knows what they are doing creating a nice array of solid pulp horror; books we should be buying in droves. It is also extremely reminiscent of classic Straub.

Three Words That Describe This Book: psychological, secrets from the past, disorienting

Readalikes: The three listed in the review above make a nice mix. Also those who enjoyed a book I reviewed last month, The Return, might also like this one. Although, here we have an all male cast of friends and there it was all women. The men here are about 10 years older too.